Windmill guide device



Jan. 22, 1935. A. L LIGON 1,988,626

WINDMILL GUIDE DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1955 Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED Application October 519,

'6Clain1s. (o1. '3ll8 3) This invention relates to a guide device "for the pump rod of a windmill orthe like, and it constitutes an improvement of the construction disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,753,126 issued to me on April 1st, 1930. I 7

A primary object of the prese'ntinventionis to provide novel means enablingau'tomatic relative movement of parts of the guide device in the event said pump rod should break above the guide device, so that in falling, the pump rod will not cause breakage of any partof the guide device or of the derrick or tower of the windmill orthe like.

- It is also aimed to provide a novel construction'of guide board enabling expeditious adjust- -ment to accommodate the guide device, irrespective of the length of the girts or frame members which support the guide board.

Various additional objects and advantages will in part be pointed, out and become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken inconnection with accompanying drawing illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawing:- I

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of windmill parts showing my improvements in operative position,

Figure 2 is an elevation taken at a right angle to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, designates a conventional derrick or tower of a windmill of which 11 are horizontal cross members or girts. 12 designates the usual vertically reciprocable pump rod actuated by the windmill or parts located at the top of the derrick constituting no part of my invention, and therefore unnecessary to illustrate.

The guide device comprises a bracket 13 having socket portions 14 in which are rigidly secured in any suitable manner, a pair of vertical, parallel guide rods 15. The upper ends of the guide rods 15 extend into sockets 16 of a bracket 16, pivotally secured by a horizontal axis memher or pin 1'7 to a cleat 18. Disposed between the bracket 13 and cleat 18 and against the 'pumprod 12 is a metallic strap 19, and a bolt 20 passes through the bracket 13, strap 19, and pump rod 12 while a bolt 21 passes through the cleat 18, strap 19, and pump rod 12. An addi- 1933, Serial No. 594,334

tional fastening 22 may pass through the' cleat 18, and strap 19-mt me"pump d 12. :glleaf spring 23 is fastened by-elements "'24 passing through the strap {19 and is 'so -'arfra nged {as to bear againstalug orpartr'25 ofthe-brafcket l6', :35

ter-normally urgent ante operative position shown in Figures 1 and 2, buti'n the event fbf "breakage of the'pum'p rod 12 aboveithe guide deviceg to enable "the {bracket 16"jt0 swing '-a'gainstfthe terision -iif the spririg'f 23- to the ('10 sitidn shown in Figure- 4, "thereby avoiding breakage of any of the a ac nt parts'offlthe "guide-device or derricki guide -board or y y 'ke i which cooperates -with I the parts-described is shotvn' at 26 and consists in; ofindependent relatively slidable elements 27 [of wqod ,-meta1;or the lik'e Each -member 27 has *anelongated sl'ot28 therein adjacent one end, "through which =hook bolts '29-; pass, and which are: engaged with an adj acent gi'rt or brass 'iheih- '20 ber fll ofthe derfrick. $uitable niits -30'fiare threaded on sai'd 'bolts -29 above and adapted for Lbinding engagement with the rneliibe'r's 127. 'Transverse bolts' 31p'ass through various-"alii ied holes'iin' the board -members 27. and at the Bends x orzsuch ih61es,.-notches: szz i-iar'e a provided which ia'ccommodate :1 mtallic blockssior' uf shaped l'e ments 33 against which the heads ,34 and nuts 35 on such bolts are tightened. I

Along opposite longitudinal edges of the members 27, notches 36 are provided, in two of which, according to the relative adjustment of the members 27, the guide rods 15 are disposed forrelatively loose vertical sliding movement with the pump rod 12. To this end, the nuts 30 are not tightened untilthe guide board 26 has been arranged with the guide rods 15 operative in two of the notches 36. A latch or button 3'7 is adapted to extend across those notches 36 engaged by the'rods 15. Such latch 37 is secured in place by a bolt 38, enabling the latch to be swung to a vertical position as guide board 26 is moved into engagement with the rods 15, after which such latch may be swung behind the rods 15 into the position shown in the drawing. A nut 39 is applied to the bolt 38. In order to brace the latch or button 37, a metallic strap 40 is secured thereto in any suitable manner and an end thereof as at 41 is forked or bifurcated so that when the latch is in applied position, one portion of the fork will engage the under surface and the other part of the fork will engage the upper surface of the adjacent member 27, thereby preventing accidental turning of the latch on the bolt 39.

result of the construction described, the

with the guide board or any. part of the inve'ntion or derrick to avoid breaking any of its parts. I

The nuts 30 and 39 may .be provided-with or injury to handles at 42 and 43, respectively, to enable manual operation of the'device. i 1

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the inent on-1 I I claim "as [my invention-:

51. In combination with a vertically reciprocating member, and-a structure relatively to which; it reciprocates, a guide mechanism having parts in interengagement and supported on said z i qi roc a in jzne er nd structure, a pa w said mechanismbeing displaceable. automatically through engagement with another part of said nechanism upon descent of the reciprocating member Iollowing breakage above the guide mechanism,

2..In combination witha vertically reciprocating pump rod, a derrick associated therewith,

a guiderod device carried bythe reciprocating pump rod, a guide ;yoke engaged by the rod device andcarried by the derrick, means engaging the rod device above the guide yoke andimov- ;ably;.connected to the pumprod, said guide yoke being in the path otthe downward movement of said means, whereby upq i tailing of the'pump ,rod; after breaka fi, the guide yoke will be auto- .matically disengaged by theguide rod device.

V :3. Ardevice of the class described comprising guiderods, abracket adjacent thelower ends thereof to mount the rods, a bracket engageablejwith the upper ends :of therods, means (1'10 pivotally mount the last mentioned bracket, said last mentioned bracket having a projection, spring means engaging the projection normally urging the last mentioned bracket into engagement with the rods, and a guide yoke through which the rods pass adapted for engagement by the second mentioned bracket through undue downward movement of the rods to automatically release the rods.

4. Adevice of the classdescribed comprising guide rods, a bracket adjacent the lower ends thereof to mount the rods, a bracket engageable with the upper ends of the rods, means to pivotally mount the last mentioned bracket, said last mentioned bracket having a projection, spring means engaging the projection normally urgingthe last mentioned bracket into engagement with the rods, a guide yoke through which the rods pass adapted for engagement by the second mentioned bracket through undue downward movement of the rods to automatically release the rods, a strap, and fastenings passing through the bracket and strap to 'operatively connect them to a reciprocating member.

5. In a device of the class described, a guide rod attachable to a reciprocating member, said guide rod having afree end, a displaceable element, engaging said free end of the guide rod, a yoke slidably engaged by said guide rod below said displaceable element, so that the yoke will displace said element through undue lowering of the guide rod and said guide rod will move below and automatically disengage the yoke. 6.'-In, a device of the class described, a guide .rodj attachableto a reciprocating member, said guide rod having a free end, a displaceable ele- ;ment engaging said'free end of the guide rod,

a yoke slidably engaged by said guide rod below said displaceable element, so that the yoke will displace said elementthrough undue lowering .of the guide rod and said guide rod will move belowand automatically disengage the yoke, said yoke having a notch in an edge thereof to receive the guide rod, and latch means on the yoke disposable over the notch.

ARTHUR L. LIGON. 

